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hp JUNIOR CLASSIC AT ENGLISH TURN
English Turn Golf and Country Club
New Orleans, La.
July 22-26, 2002
LENZ AND GODARE CAPTURE
FIRST AJGA TITLES IN FINAL EVENT
Boys and Girls Champions claim titles by one stroke
NEW ORLEANS - Jonathan Lenz of San Antonio and Stephanie
Godare of Houston waited until their final AJGA event to pick
up their first victories. Both 18-year-olds completed their
AJGA careers in winning style before they head off to compete
on the collegiate level. Lenz erased a two-stroke final round
deficit to finish at the top of the leaderboard and Godare
claimed top honors in the Girls Division after a final-round,
even-par 72.
The 54-hole tournament, conducted by the American Junior Golf
Association, featured 84 players representing 16 states and
included 10 Louisiana natives. It was held at English Turn
Golf and Country Club. Past champions of the event include
PGA TOUR players Scott Verplank, Bryce Molder and Brian Watts,
and LPGA tour players Grace Park and Michelle McGann.
Lenz, who has signed with the University of Mississippi, posted
a final-round 71 to end with a three-day total of 216. He
won by one stroke over Michael Birtel of New Orleans.
"This is exactly what I wanted," Lenz said. "I
felt like I could win coming into it. I wouldn't have been
disappointed if I didn't win, but I wanted this one."
Lenz (74-71-71--216) stayed out of trouble all day and benefited
from the help of four birdies on the difficult English Turn
course.
"I hit the ball well all week," Lenz said. "I
couldn't make a putt the first two days and had to depend
a little more on my driver and irons. My putter came through
for me today though."
Lenz came out aggressive and recorded three birdies on the
front nine before play was halted for 50 minutes because of
severe weather.
"After the delay I came out and played it safe,"
Lenz said. "I was trying to hit fairways and greens and
get home."
Birtel finished alone in second with a three-day total of
217. Chase Watkins of Fort Collins, Colo., and Ryan Henry
of Broken Arrow, Okla., rounded out the top five with a total
of 219.
Godare, who has signed a letter of intent to Texas Christian
University, held off defending champion Jennifer Pandolfi
of Navarre, Fla., to win by one stroke.
"I am kind of relieved," Godare said. "I have
been waiting to win an AJGA tournament since I was 13."
She had three birdies during the final round, but none was
more important than her first one on No. 3. Godare (78-73-72--223)
drained a 40-foot birdie putt on the 134-yard, par-3 third
to get her game rolling, but it did more than that. It helped
calm her nerves during the final round.
"I started off the day a little nervous," Godare
said. "But that putt kind of calmed me down and after
that I was fine."
Godare, who entered the day with a one-stroke lead, played
conservatively trying to record par and escape with the title.
"I was going after fairways and greens," Godare
said. "I was trying to two putt and make pars. It was
boring golf, but I was consistent all day."
Pandolfi finished in second at 224 and Sookhee Baek of Bradenton,
Fla., placed third with a total of 227.
For more information regarding the hp Junior Classic at English
Turn, please contact our national headquarters at (877) 373-2542.
# AJGA #
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